---
title: "What Is Search Intent? The Four Types | Kihan Marketing"
description: "Search intent is what a person wants when they search: to learn, to find, to compare or to act. The four types, with apartment search data and an example."
url: https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/search-intent/
published: 2026-10-16
updated: 2026-10-16
author: "Kiran Dasgupta"
---

# Search Intent

What a searcher wants, and how a page matches it

Search intent is what a person wants when they type a search: to learn something, to reach a specific business or page, to compare options, or to act, such as booking, calling or applying. Google ranks pages that serve the intent behind a search, so a page has to match what the searcher wants, not only repeat the words they typed.

By [Kiran Dasgupta](https://kihanmarketing.com/kiran/), Founder and Lead Strategist

## What are the main types of search intent?

- **Informational.** The searcher wants to learn: "what is a lease-up", "how long does a roof last".
- **Navigational.** The searcher wants a specific business or page, usually by name.
- **Commercial.** The searcher is comparing options before choosing: "best property managers", "Google Ads vs Meta Ads".
- **Transactional.** The searcher is ready to act: "book a facial", "apartments for rent near me", "roof repair quote".

## Why does search intent matter for apartment communities?

Because the searches that bring apartment websites their clicks are mostly navigational. In our [apartment website search benchmark](https://kihanmarketing.com/multifamily-marketing/multifamily-search-benchmark/), 88 percent of clicks with a reported search came from people searching a community's or a manager's name, on four apartment websites over the 90 days to October 14, 2026, in Google Search Console. The renters who do not know the name search with transactional intent, by place, unit type or price.

For example, "two bedroom apartments in a neighborhood" is a transactional search from someone choosing where to live. A blog post about the neighborhood does not serve it; a floor plan page for two bedroom units, with the neighborhood on it and a way to ask about availability, does. In the same benchmark, floor plan and unit type searches clicked through at 4.2 percent, about the same rate as name searches.

## How do you match a page to search intent?

1. **Search it yourself.** Look at what Google shows for the search: guides, service pages, product pages, a map, or an AI answer.
2. **Match the format.** If the first page is all comparison tables, a sales page will struggle, and the reverse.
3. **Answer the next question.** Cover what the searcher will want once the first answer is given.
4. **Give one clear action.** On a transactional page, make the call, the form or the booking the obvious next step.

## Related terms

- **Striking distance keywords.** [Searches a page almost ranks for](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/striking-distance-keywords/), often a sign the intent is close but not matched.
- **Landing page.** A [page built for one action](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/landing-page/), for transactional searches and ads.
- **AI Overviews.** [Google's AI answers](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/ai-overviews/), which appear mostly on informational searches.

Matching pages to intent is the core of our [SEO](https://kihanmarketing.com/services/seo/) work, and for apartment communities of [multifamily SEO](https://kihanmarketing.com/multifamily-marketing/multifamily-seo/).

## Keep reading

- [SEO and AI Search](https://kihanmarketing.com/services/seo/): Search work judged by where you rank.
- [Apartment Search Benchmark](https://kihanmarketing.com/multifamily-marketing/multifamily-search-benchmark/): Search Console data from four apartment websites: where the clicks come from, and how to read your own.
- [Striking Distance Keywords](https://kihanmarketing.com/glossary/striking-distance-keywords/): Searches a page already ranks for just off the first page of Google.